Colorado school district to pay $11.5M to sex crime victims

Each victim will receive $2.3 million from a settlement with the Cherry Creek School District in Colorado. (Wavebreakmedia via iStock)

AURORA, Colo. — A suburban Denver school district has agreed to an $11.5 million settlement after a middle school teacher acknowledged having inappropriate sexual contact with several students.

Abbe Smith, a spokeswoman for the Cherry Creek School District, told The Aurora Sentinel on Monday the settlement was evenly split five ways, with each victim receiving $2.3 million.

Brian Vasquez, who taught social studies at Prairie Middle School for seven years, pleaded guilty in July to three counts of sexual assault and one count each of sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation. He faces at least 40 years in prison when he’s sentenced Friday.

When police questioned Vasquez, they were initially only investigating accusations from one girl who said she had exchanged inappropriate text messages with the teacher. But Vasquez offered the names of four other students and said the relationships included sexual contact.